Chapter 58: We Carry the Torch
"I only found three spells in the ruins," Ryan said. "Unfortunately, I don't have a full curriculum for him to study."
Harry looked a bit disappointed, but he nodded. "Even a few spells that are suited for Neville is a great help."
Ryan smiled. "Harry, this is the Adventurers' Club. And we are adventurers in the field of magic. As adventurers, I believe there is no greater calling than to explore the unknown and to resurrect the past."
"If Neville and Hannah truly have a talent for this, I will invite them to join us. I hope that, together, we can bring this lost school of magic back into the wizarding world."
"If our ancestors could forge new paths," he said, his voice quiet but resonant, "then why can't we?"
His words were simple, yet they sent a tremor of excitement through every person in the room. Us? Resurrect a lost school of magic, one that now exists only in fragments of legend?
It was a monumental undertaking, an act of creation on par with founding a new magical discipline. They would be the founders, their names etched into the annals of history, their deeds the stuff of bedtime stories for generations to come. Before this moment, none of them had ever dared to dream of such a thing. For centuries, since the implementation of the Statute of Secrecy, no truly new school of magic had been born. All they had done was build upon the foundations of the past.
"I imagine that's worth a Merlin's Order for each of us," someone joked, trying to mask their trembling excitement.
"Esteemed Prefect Percy," George said, "as a Gryffindor prefect, I believe it is your duty to oversee the magical progress of the younger students. Especially a certain Mr. Neville Longbottom. What are your thoughts?"
Isn't this what I've always wanted? Percy thought, his heart pounding. To bring honor and prestige back to the Weasley family name? He maintained a dignified composure. "Of course. It is a prefect's duty to assist every younger student."
"Right, right," the twins said in unison.
"Our seventh-years are busy with their N.E.W.T.s," Cedric added, "so I will personally see to Hannah's development. I hope she and Neville will be able to join us soon."
A buzz of anticipation filled the room. They were all eager to see Neville and Hannah master the strengthening charm, to have them join their ranks and begin the grand project of resurrecting a lost art. And on the third day, they fantasized, we will all be awarded the Order of Merlin and be featured on the front page of the Daily Prophet.
"Since you've joined the club," Penelope said to Ryan, "you have never ceased to amaze me." She had always had an inkling of his grand ambitions, but she had never imagined they were this bold.
"We are adventurers," Ryan said, not just to Penelope, but to everyone in the room. "We are the ones who will carry the torch for this generation of the wizarding world. We will draw from the deep wells of the past, and we will forge the future."
With a wave of his wand, he projected a series of complex mechanical diagrams into the air, assembling them piece by piece until they formed the image of a Muggle mobile phone. He then showed them how two people, miles apart, could use it to communicate.
"Some of us have grown up in the Muggle world," he said. "They know how convenient these devices are."
"I always thought owl post was very... magical," a Muggle-born student admitted. "Like something out of a storybook. But compared to a telephone, it is a bit slow."
The pure-blood students were not convinced. "We have Apparition," one of them argued. "And we can use the Floo network. That's just as fast."
After a heated debate, they came to a consensus: the Floo was like a landline, but you couldn't exactly carry a fireplace around in your pocket. The wizarding world, it seemed, was not yet ready for the concept of mobile communication.
"So," someone asked, "you want to create a magical version of a telephone?"
"No," Ryan said. "We are going to create a portable communication device. One that will allow people to speak with each other, face to face, from anywhere in the world."
He then projected a complex array of spells and alchemical diagrams into the air, showing them the core components of his design: variations on the Transfiguration Charm and the spells used to connect to the Floo network, combined with Projection Charms, volume-adjusting spells like Sonorus and Quietus, and a complex alchemical ritual to make the enchantment permanent.
The students stared in stunned silence. They had never seen so many spells combined in such an intricate and novel way. They all understood that if they succeeded, their creation would change the wizarding world forever. It would replace the Owl Post and revolutionize communication.
But the sheer scale of the challenge was daunting. Seeing their hesitation, Ryan said, "I already have a basic framework. It's really just a refinement of existing technologies, with a system of unique magical 'addresses' for each device. It's a simple matter of logistics, really."
The students: (—_—)
Ryan: So this is what it feels like to be Dumbledore.
"Now," he said, "any ideas? We can add any feature we can dream of."
"Before we start dreaming," Pablo Pierce, the ever-practical Ravenclaw, said, "perhaps you could walk us through your basic design. I know all of these spells individually, but I have no idea how they work together."
The other students all nodded in agreement.
Ryan realized he needed to rally the troops. He took a deep breath, channeling all the great orators from his past life, and began to craft a speech to inspire them.
~~~
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